Not Who He Thought
by Xerophax
Summary: After the failed wedding, things seemed to be going up for Ranma, but rumor after rumor leads others to a startling revelation about him, one he wasn't even aware of. Ranma-chan fic. A bunch of cliches coming together to try and make an amusing story.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! New to writing Fanfiction, so forgive me if I'm not very good at first. I'll probably end up using too many comas and the dialogue probably won't sound too natural at first, but I'm trying to improve. Now, as you may have guessed, this is a Ranma ½ Fanfic, and I'll be mixing a variety of cliches together in an attempt to write an amusing story. First of all, this is an AU, one where Ranma was born a girl. Yep, that's right, a girl. Not that he knows, of course.**

**Also, I draw inspiration for this fanfic from stories such as:**

**Worlds Fall Apart by Creamsoda1382**

**Genma's Daughter by Clasicalgal**

**And The Contract by Ranranami, who should totally continue with the story if they're somehow, against all odds, reading this.**

* * *

Ranma lazily stood in the schools packed auditorium, keeping to the side and out of the way of the more 'normal' students, all of whom seemed to find his life fascinating as of late.

Or, more fascinating than usual.

He always hated rumors, but as of late his hatred had turned more volatile, he had almost wished it were capable of turning into a physical entity just so he could show it how much he despised it. It seemed the only reprieve he would have from the newest gossip floating throughout the school would be at his home, with his father and mother. _They _didn't know of the rumors, and therefore couldn't gossip about it.

Thank goodness after the failed wedding his mother seemed to believe the constant pressure was getting between him and Akane, she had thankfully had him and his father move back into their newly reconstructed home. He was sure that if he was still staying at the Tendos' the rumors would somehow find their way into his home life, which would potentially be fatal for him and his father.

Inwardly sighing, he thought back to when the rumors had first begun two weeks prior.

It had been off to such a good day, a week had passed since the failed wedding and his moving in with his mother, he hadn't had to deal with any poisonous breakfast courtesy of a certain fiance and he had just learned his least favorite teacher would be absent for the week. When their substitute walked through the classroom doors, he had been certain it would be a good day.

Judging by the huge glass frames on her head and her elderly appearance, he quickly surmised it would be safe to sleep for the rest of the period. Even if she was able to make out his sleeping form, with her eyesight it would be all but impossible for her to identify him and thus get him in trouble. So good was his mood, in fact, he had even volunteered his services, to the shock of many, before he took his nap.

A nice, long few minutes later, he had returned to the teachers' desk with the extra papers he had passed out, a carefree smile resting on his face.

It would not last long.

"Thank you, ma'am." Those were all the words she had to say for his pleasant mood to quickly sour, as a quick check downward(Noticing the absence of his cursed forms chest) confirmed he was currently 100% male.

A slight chuckle passed through the class at the substitutes' mistake, none of them appearing to take it too seriously.

He quickly cleared his throat, ready to correct the old woman's' slight to his manhood.

"Actually, it's 'sir'." He firmly insisted, still trying to be as polite as possible but leaving no room for argument as it was somewhat of a touchy subject.

Judging by the woman's cringe and the apologetic expression that appeared on his face, he knew it was an honest mistake the woman had made, and he felt slightly guilty at assuming that she had somehow done it on purpose. The woman didn't know him, didn't know of his curse. She wasn't teasing him, it was just the fault of her bad eyesight.

Relieved that he got his point across and that she knew of her mistake, he started the return trip to his desk, knowing that he would be able to sleep without feeling morally wrong. She called him a girl, he slept through her class. An equal exchange. That, however, would not be how things would go down.

It seemed the old woman wanted to apologize and explain how she made her mistake.

"I'm sorry young man, it's just that my sight isn't as good as it used to be. I mostly rely on a persons' voice and the general shape of their body to tell them apart."

Of course, this little bit of information only seemed to sour his mood even more.

So she was saying that he _sounded _like a girl? Somewhat _looked _like a girl?

Okay, he could admit that his voice wasn't the deepest, but it was obvious that it belonged to a guy. And maybe his hair was sort of girly, but it was more or less similar to how he wore it his whole life, his dad never letting it get too short, possibly trying to force him to appreciate it while he had it, since it was entirely possible he could lose it at a young age as he had. None of that made him girly, and sure, maybe he was getting a little carried away with his anger since the woman never necessarily _said _he was girly, but he was sure it was implied.

He may not be the broadest of guys, but that was for the simple fact that it didn't complement his style of Martial Arts. Speed and agility beat power any day of the week as far as he was concerned, so what if it made him leaner than other guys now that adulthood was starting to beef them up? It wasn't like they were stronger than him, though he might not look it, if he were willing, he could easily punch a tree in half with a single blow. And…

Okay, he was getting off track. He wouldn't admit it, but anytime someone would slight his masculinity he would defend it with reasons that had nothing to do with the subject at hand.

Of course, rumors of how he was _girly _started circulating the school over the next few days, but that was only part of the problem. He would have been able to ignore those, and they likely wouldn't have lasted very long. The real problem began on the Thursday of that week, a few days after his issue with the old woman.

It turned out something had happened to her grandchild that prevented her from subbing for our class that day, and with the number of substitutes willing to come over to Furiken as low as it was, it meant that the school nurse, who not many even knew we had, would be taking over for that period that day.

The incident with the previous sub almost forgotten, he hadn't thought much of the new one. So, imagine his surprise when, while he was napping as had become usual for this week, he was rudely awakened by an eraser to the head.

"Ow! What the hell?" He shot up as he rubbed the sore spot on his head, not noticing at first the nasty glare he was receiving from the nurse/substitute.

"Judging by your foul language, obviously due to lack of proper words in your employ, sleeping during class is the last thing you should be doing. What is your name young man?"

Well, she seemed nasty, and _he _was the one who just woke up on the wrong side of the desk. If anyone should be rude, it should be him. And it would. Giving a cocky smirk, one that many teachers feared/found annoying, he answered.

"Ranma Saotome." If she actually turned out to be the nurse here, then she would definitely have heard of him from some of the other staff members. Pretty much all of them except Ms. Hinako refused from punishing him nowadays, and though he probably shouldn't, he felt pride in knowing that.

Unsurprisingly, a look of recognition appeared on her face. As it turned out, she _had _heard of him. Well, looks like he was good to go back to sleep then.

However, her next words seemed to wake him back up.

"Ah yes, the girl with the curse that transforms her into a man." The _certainty _she said that with just seemed so _wrong_.

A scowl quickly appeared on his face. _Another _jokester!

"Listen here, Lady, I don't turn _into _a man, I _am _one. Ya got it backward." Maybe that was a bit forceful. Maybe he didn't care.

Now _she _was scowling. What? Didn't like getting called out on her bluff? Or would it be another mistake, like the old woman sub?

"Nonsense!" She had exclaimed, seeming as if she actually believed the crap she was spouting.

"As the school nurse, I have access to your medical records in case a previous illness or condition acts up! That includes your birth certificate." Well, that surprised him, though he wasn't entirely sure where she was going with it. Well, he did actually, but he didn't believe it.

"So? Are those records gonna say my pops took me to the hospital cause I suddenly became a boy overnight? Yeah right." The sarcasm may have been a little over the top but this lady was laying it on a little too much. The lie, that is.

The nurse lady seemed to be angered by this if the reddening of her face was anything to go by. '_Well, too bad. Insult me and I insult you'_. It was a shame he never noticed how she never specifically insulted him, well, if you didn't count how she insulted him for sleeping in class.

"Kuonji! You're in charge!" She shouted before storming out of the classroom, likely headed to find someone else to take over this class. That, or find Ms. Hinako to drain him so he'd behave.

As soon as she went out the door the class erupted into action, quickly surrounding him and asking questions. All of which he ignored.

"What'd she mean by that, sugar?" _'Like hell if I know Ucchan.'_

"Do you mean you're really a girl, Saotome?"_ 'Don't get yer hopes up buddy.'_

"Ranma's not _that _perverted to pretend to be a boy just to get a look in their locker room, right?." _'Gee, thanks 'Kane.'_

"Don't be ridiculous, Akane. You know Jusenkyo curses are activated by cold water, not warm. At least as long as his dad's not really a panda that turns into a man?" _'Huh? Seems they knew a bit about curses. At least that'll clear things up though. Thanks, Sayuri.'_

"I mean, yeah? But that's with animal curses. Ranma's the only one I know that switches genders. Maybe it's different?" _'Leave it to the other of 'Kane's friends to make the problem worse. Yuki? Whatever.'_

"Hmm, could be?" _'Okay, like hell!'_

Finally fed up with it, he leaned up from his reclined position and slammed his hands on his desk to make his point.

"I am a _man_!" He shouted, and like before when he's had this talk, he left no room for discussion.

"Is that so?" The voice that started all this suddenly piped up, revealing to the students their return to the classroom.

"Yeah, and nothing ya say or do will ever change that." As if to prove him wrong she splashed him with the cup he didn't even notice she had been carrying. Removing the red hair from her eyes, Ranma glared at the now taller woman. The only reaction that got her, however, was a sniff of the nose and an upturned head.

"And when, exactly, did you get your curse young lady?" The nurse asked with a smirk.

"Three years ago." Ranma nearly growled out, thinking of what she could do to make this woman suffer. A gasp of surprise rang throughout the room.

"Ranma? I thought your father dragged you to us after you got cursed?" Akane asked, somewhat in disbelief.

Ranma could only groan slightly, she had told her already. Sort of.

"Nah. Remember how I said we left for China after that missed fight with Ryoga? Yeah, that was in Junior High and we got ta Jusenkyo a bit after that."

"Yeah, but I thought you left after finishing it, not after spending a few weeks there!" _'Oh…'_

"But I thought I told you I spent a few years lookin' for a cure for the dragon whisker."

"Oh…"

"But anyway, yeah. Got the curse a few years ago." Ranma continued as she turned her head towards the substitute who merely raised an eyebrow.

"And this curse transforms you into a girl?"

"Uh-huh." She nodded her head, which only seemed to make the small smile on the substitutes face grow more.

"Then, allow me to settle this _nonsense _right now." And with that, she threw a piece of paper onto her desk for all to see.

"Ranma Saotome. Gender, Female. Born to Genma and Nodoka Saotome at Nerima General Hospital." Frowning, Ranma picked up the paper with a frown on her face.

"And what exactly is this supposed ta be?" She asked.

"Your birth certificate. Made on the day of your birth, years before you claim to have been cursed, clearly stating that you were born a girl." Ranma's mouth seemed to go dry only for her to realize something.

"A fake." She said, "Or a mistake was made, knowin' my pops that's probably what happened." Despite hearing the words coming from her mouth, the rest of the class kept on gossiping about her supposed 'real' gender, not even listening to her protests.

"Hey!" She shouted, finally managing to get the class's attention after a few minutes.

"I'm a guy! How else would my pop have sent me to an all-boys Junior High?" She asked, and for some reason that only seemed to make a few of the girls angry.

"That jackass! Not only did he raise you like a boy, he even forced you to go to an all-boys school! Didn't he realize how dangerous that would be for you if one of the guys found out?!" What that implied only seemed to gross Ranma out, that had been a real worry after she had gotten cursed.

"No! Listen! I am a guy." Que some jackass touching her breasts which resulted in him, in turn, receiving a fist to the face.

"I was _born _a guy." She corrected. For some reason, Ukyo decided she would make her life hell at that moment, a smirk on her face that suggested to the class she was just being playful. That, however, was not actually caught by the class, who seemed to take the words as gospel.

"Honey, you _did _say that you thought I was a guy when you agreed to marry me as kids."

'_Why, Ucchan, why?'_

And there the rumors that would plague him for the next two weeks started. The only ones that seemed to believe him were Akane, Nabiki, and Ukyo, with everyone else in school seeming to believe he was a girl. The _bitch _of a nurse that started all this was never seen since, and believe him, he looked.

It got even worse when, on the day after the incident with the nurse, Principal _Pineapple _informed him that the school board had somehow gotten news of the sudden cold splashes he would somehow receive in the school shower and decided he couldn't use the boy's locker room anymore, or the bathrooms either. Instead, he would use one of the teacher's bathrooms that was specially designated to him. As for showers, he would have to use the ones the school usually saved for the athletes during home games.

All this served to make him feel more like a freak than usual. Whenever anything happened in gym class there was a huge argument over which side he should be on, boys or girls. He was incapable of using the boys' restroom with similar punishment as the girls if caught. And, while he wasn't complaining, the girls no longer seemed to be paying him any romantic attention anymore. Instead, they seemed as if they were trying to include him into their circle.

All of this lead to him avoiding contact with any other student as they all gathered at the assembly today. Somehow it had gotten into Principal Kuno's head that the students weren't enjoying school enough, so he put something together.

'_Probably a way to get everyone a new haircut,'_ He snorted. _'And knowing my luck, he'd try and give me a bowl cut.'_

"Greeting kahunas and wahines!" The as fore mentioned principal finally called out. A chorus of boos followed, yet he didn't seem to acknowledge them.

"Now, now keikis', It has come ta mah attention that ya's not be appreciatin' da Hawaiian experience I's been bringin' ya's!"

'_No… It couldn't be… Has he finally realized how insane he's been with this Hawaii nonsense?'_

"That's why I's arranged for ya's ta experience it first hand!"

'_...Nevermind.'_

"That's right Keikis'! I'ma takin y'all ta the big islands themselves! In two weeks we's a goin to Hawaii!"

'_Well, that was entirely random and out of nowhere, but…'_

"Yahoooo!" A chorus of applause and shouts rang through the air, Ranma included. Of course, it seemed that only his grade would be going, with the other grades being absent. Or maybe the announcement was being done separately.

'_I hope not.'_

He could really use the break from Kuno. But still, even if the entire school went….

Hawaii!

It's just….

Hawaii!

Who wouldn't be excited?

Sure he's traveled basically all over the world on his training trip, but that just it, it was a training trip. There was no time to have fun, no time to relax, everything was more or less on his father's schedule. When to get up, when to eat, when to train, when to sleep. Hell, even bathroom breaks were scheduled.

'_Man, Hawaii…'_

* * *

"How was your day at school, son?" The calm voice of his mother sounded from the kitchen as Ranma stepped through the door.

"Eh, you know, the usual. I guess the Principals having my grade go on a trip in about two weeks."

"Oh?" His mother's head popped through the kitchen door as she questioned him.

"Yeah, turns out he got tired of nobody respecting Hawaii that he thought we might change our minds if we've been there ourselves." It seemed that really got her attention as her eyes widened and she fully stepped through the door and into the living room, a cup in her right hand that she seemed to be using a cloth to clean.

"Hawaii you say?"

"Yeah." He nodded along. She beamed at him.

"Oh, it's been ages since I've been! You're gonna love it, honey!" He raised an eyebrow at that, his mother's been to Hawaii before?

"Oh don't look at me like that! I know I don't _look _it but I had a lot of fun when I was younger. I haven't always been looked as respectful as I do now." Huh, he never really thought about that. He grew up thinking she had died when he was younger and when he finally saw her again it was under the guise of 'Ranko' so he never really got a chance to ask her then, and when he finally met her as her son he was just so happy to be with her that he forgot to ask basically anything about her.

"Anyways, hopefully, your time in Hawaii will let you finally be intimate with one of your fiances. Personally I'm gunning for the Ukyo girl." Continued his mother.

"Eh, I don't think so." He said, not really looking at her now. He didn't admit it, but lately, he was starting to feel that his life wasn't his own to live. Everything was being decided for him. From a young age, it was decided via a contract that he was only ever to act in a certain way, he would then have to marry someone he likely wouldn't love and take over a job he couldn't say he really wanted so he could take care of his dad.

Then it got even more complicated as time went on. He was now also expected by an entirely different family to marry their daughter and once again take over a job he wouldn't enjoy as a cheif. Now even people from China seemed to have a say in how he lived his life and who he was gonna marry. It sort of hurt, but he wasn't allowed to admit it or else everyone would get mad at how he was acting.

"_How dare you lead my daughter along and hurt her feelings!"_

"_But your father said we would marry Ran-chan, family honor demands it!"_

"_Amazon law states outsider male who defeats Amazon female has to marry!"_

Nobody ever asked his opinion, as if he didn't get a choice in his own life. The closest anyone came was with his mother, and she only wanted to know who he would marry/have a child with first. She expected him to have all of them.

"Why not?" She asked, seeming genuinely confused.

"Don't you find one of them the least bit sexy or attractive?"

The only thing he could do was give her a confused look. He wasn't a pervert and he thought she knew that. He knew he wasn't like Happosai.

"I'm not a pervert, mom!" He wasn't. The only time he thought you were supposed to have those thoughts were when you were married unless you were a pervert. Akane had only served to further enforce those thoughts. He genuinely couldn't understand why everyone seemed so confused about that.

Though, maybe his mother didn't agree with this, judging by the confused look on her face.

"What part of finding someone attractive makes you a pervert? Everyone has the desire to have sex with _someone_. You don't need to be embarrassed about that sweetie. As a matter of fact, I encourage it!"

Now it was his turn to look confused. Was his mom really that perverted that she thought that? Sure, he had heard a few of the guys mentioning wanting to have their way with a specific girl, but those were the guys that Akane had already confirmed were perverts. Well, maybe this was a chance to clarify those things, he just hoped that he didn't hurt her feelings. And that she didn't hurt him.

"Eh, mom, I think you're the only person who thinks that's normal. I'm pretty sure you're only supposed ta find someone sexy when you're married to 'em, unless you're Happosai. I'm not saying you're a pervert, I just don't think ya know how guys think is all." He tried saying it as nice as possible, and tried not to sound too confused when he said it either, but he didn't have much experience with this kind of stuff regardless of what people said. He knew it wasn't natural to just want to have sex with every woman you see. If that were the case he would likely be married to all his fiances already, likely with kids on the way.

Judging by the(for some reason) worried look in his mothers' eyes, that wasn't the right thing to say.

"Can you stay here for a minute, son? I'll be right back." Without waiting for an answer, she rushed upstairs, likely to look for something.

'_Oh well, maybe it'll help her realize not everyone thinks about sex like that, and if she does it'll be easier around here without being pressured into getting married… or she'll push it even more'_ he really hoped she wouldn't at least.

He was distracted from his line of thoughts, however, when he heard knocking at the door. Shrugging, he decided to go and answer it.

Opening the door, he was unsurprised to find Akane there. They had made plans earlier in the day to meet up at his house away from Nabiki so that they could start planning for the trip in a few weeks. Luckily, Akane's attitude towards him seemed to improve since Jusendo, not romantically, but they found that they could be friends. Real friends, not the awkward friendship they settled into forcibly due to being engaged by their parents.

With a quick greeting, he stepped to the side and let her in, hoping his mother wasn't about to make things awkward with whatever she set off to find.

* * *

Nodoka was worried.

For some reason, her son seemed to think it was abnormal for a young man to have any thoughts pertaining to sex. Not only that, but he expressed genuine confusion when she tried explaining it was natural, almost as if he had never felt that way before.

And _that _was unnatural.

Granted, she knew her views could be a bit screwy when it involved her son and women, but that was merely because she wanted her son to have an amazing life, and so she tried to encourage him in the only way she could thought would make a man happy. Women. She knew her husband was a bit of a pervert when it came to them, and the other men she knew seemed just as bad. For example, his master and his best friend. Happosai went without question, and Soun was quite the ladies man back in the day, before he got with his wife that is.

So, when she learned her son had many fiances, it was natural for her to assume that he was a bit of a pervert too, not that she would ever say such a thing, and his father basically confirmed it when he mentioned that Ranma himself choose Ukyo when they were younger, and then how he challenged Shampoo for the hand in marriage. So she went along with it, wanting to see her son happy.

And if it just so happened to give her many grandchildren to spoil in the future…

Now, however, she was beginning to suspect that her husband had lied to her about the details of her sons' engagements.

One thing she knew for certain, however, was that it was natural to have… urges, whether you were a boy or a girl. It was just a part of life.

Her son, for some reason, didn't seem to _have _these urges, if what she gathered from the earlier conversation was correct.

That was why she had to be sure. So, heading to her room, she took a magazine that her husband had hid years ago, which was miraculously intact after all these years and didn't seem to be damaged when the house was destroyed.

Satisfied that the contents of the magazine would allow her to confirm whether her hunch was correct or not, she headed on down to the living room, ready to perform a 'test' on her son.

* * *

"So, what do you think about the trip to Hawaii, Ranma?" Akane asked him kindly. Ranma smiled slightly, it was amazing what saving someone's life could do for their relationship. Before Jusendo, she would merely assume he would say or do something perverted if given the opportunity to head to Hawaii. Accuse him of using his curse to spy on women who knew nothing of it, maybe even say he would attempt to go into the women's changing room, which was more or less the same thing.

Now though? They could actually hold a conversation. He would refrain from insulting her when she didn't need it, and she would wait to hear his side of the story before jumping to conclusions. No, neither of them could claim to love the other, not really, but they were getting along just nicely. No need to throw in any engagements and ruin their relationship.

Before he could answer her question, though, his mother came down from upstairs, a magazine in her hand. Stopping as she saw Akane, she let out a slight smile.

"Oh, Akane! It's good to see you. I'm glad you're here, this more or less concerns you too."

Well, he's dead. He didn't know what she went to get but judging by their conversation a while ago it wasn't anything good. He and Akane got along now, sure, but his mother usually had certain views when it came to his fiances and said things that made it hard to explain.

"Auntie! What's the matter? Is something wrong?"

"Oh, it's probably nothing! It's just that I thought of something that might be wrong with Ranma and if I'm right, it would explain a lot."

Well, that was something? Was his mother worried that something might be wrong with him because he didn't share the same views as she did when it came to matters of the opposite sex? And now she's going to worry Akane for no reason.

Akane's face lit with worry, however, when she heard his mother's words.

"Is something wrong with Ranma? Is he going to be okay?"

His mother had a small, sad smile on her face. Leaning forward and dragging Akane with her to a corner of the room, she seemed to whisper something to her that made Akane gasp. Akane, looking at him for a second with worry before her face took on an understanding look, once more turned to his mother and gave a nod.

As one, the two came to him, his mother unfolding the magazine in her hands and revealing it all in its glory to him.

"Ranma, I know it might seem perverted to you, but I want you to look at these photos and tell me if you feel anything. Anything at all honey."

Confused, but complying, Ranma flipped through the magazine. His confusion, however, only seemed to grow when all he found were photos of naked women. Did his mother want him to feel lust? Like Happosai? Was he supposed to shout 'What a haul! What a haul!'?

His mother must've seen his confused look and assumed the worst, whatever that may be. She appeared to have a sad look in her eyes as she pulled the magazine from his grasp.

"Nothing?" She asked, seeming as if she already knew the answer. Ranma could only sigh, not wanting to disappoint his mother.

"I'm sorry, Ma, but I'm not a pervert."

Surprisingly, it was Akane who let out small cries of 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry!' as she wrapped her arms around him and cried.

She told him of how sorry she was for ever accusing him of being a pervert.

All in all, this only served to further confuse him. What was wrong? Was he supposed to leer at those women?

"Come." His mother said, standing from her position on the couch, her eyes red and puffy.

"I believe a visit to Dr. Tofu and your father is in order."

* * *

"I don't see why we gotta do this, I'm perfectly fine!" Ranma protested as they made their way into the clinic some odd twenty minutes later.

"Ranma, I know you don't understand, but your mom's right! This could be serious!" Akane shouted, it seemed that whatever got them worried was really bugging them.

"Ranma? Nodoka? What are y'all doing here?" Ranma's father, Genma, asked as he stepped out into the waiting room. It seemed moving back in with his mother had motivated his father to finish his training. It had been somewhat of a surprise to Ranma when he learned that his father used to be in training to become a nurse and hopefully doctor. Though, the surprise quickly left when he remembered how good his dad had been when treating his wounds on their trip, oftentimes not having the money to see a doctor.

After learning this it started to make sense why his father had become Tofu's assistant when they first moved back to Nerima. Moreover, it made sense why Dr. Tofu would employ his dad since it turned out he actually had some training.

Stepping forward, his mother started to explain.

"We're here for a checkup on Ranma. I think something may be wrong with his sex-drive."

Genma paled, quickly understanding the implications of that. If something were wrong, then it was unlikely the schools would ever be joined. That and his son wouldn't be too happy…. Yeah, that's the main reason.

Nodding, Genma opened the door to Dr. Tofu's office.

"Come in. Luckily today hasn't been busy. You're the only ones here right now."

Stepping into the examination room, Ranma was suddenly feeling very nervous. All other times he'd been to see a doctor had been due to injuries sustained from a fight. Broken bones, concussions and anything similar was nothing to sneeze at when you had your ki pumping to speed up their recovery. This, however, was for something unknown to him, something that would have, if his mother was to be believed, a serious impact on his life.

Taking a deep breath to calm his now jittery nerves, Ranma greeted the Doctor.

"Yo!" Alright, not the best of greetings, but he honestly had no idea what to say.

"Ah, Ranma. Judging by the fact that you don't appear to have any visual injuries, I take it this isn't going to be a usual checkup?" Dr. Tofu was nothing if not observant. Or maybe it was just obvious, his mother was here this time, something that never really happened before so maybe it was easy to jump to that conclusion.

"Yes, Dr. Ono. I brought Ranma here because I believe something may be wrong with his sex drive. It could be anything, really, but I think it might be the result of his curse." Before Ranma had the chance to answer, his mother beat him to it and quite loudly proclaimed the reason for their visit, for which he was thankful that they were the only ones at the clinic at this time.

"Ah, and I take it you're concerned this may cause complications with his future wife?" A firm nod from his mother was the only confirmation the good doctor received, but he took it.

"Okay, then I'm going to need to perform a few tests on Ranma, here. I believe you want to remain in the room Mr. and Mrs. Saotome?"

"Yes," Genma answered, speaking for both of them.

"Akane? It's up to you and his parents if you want to remain in the room."

Akane looked to his mother, who gave a nod of the head, before once more focusing her attention on Dr. Tofu and proclaiming she would stay.

"Alright, Ranma. I'm gonna have to ask that you strip to your underwear for this part."

With no embarrassment(Modesty?) Ranma's clothes hit the floor as soon as he was given the instructions. Akane simply looked away, blushing all the while.

Without hesitation, Tofu brought his bare hand up and felt along Ranma's chest, circulating Ki between them to get a reading. After a few minutes of examination, Tofu's hand moving along Ranma's body at different angles, he ceased the circulation of Ki and removed his hands from Ranma, a slight frown marring his usual carefree face.

Next, Tofu stepped aside and reached into a box of rubber gloves, quickly pulling on a pair.

"Now Ranma, what I'm about to do might seem a bit unpleasant, but bear with me here, it's all done for the sake of your health."

Receiving a nod of confirmation, something fairly common today, Tofu began his observation of the boys' privates, while Ranma remained unflinching even as he felt the Doctors hands touching him. Once more, the frown reappeared on Tofu's face, doing nothing to ease the trouble the parents of the boy were feeling.

Pulling away, Tofu disposed of the gloves.

"Alright, Ranma. Your mother has some concerns that this may concern your cursed form, and I can't say for certain if it may be true." The words were expected, but that didn't stop the pain it caused to his parents. Most noticeably Genma, but that was to be expected. He may be blaming himself for the boys' condition. Especially if what he suspected were to be true.

"Okay Ranma, I'm going to ask that you switch into your cursed form so we can run the same tests. Do you think you can do that?"

Determination in his eyes, Ranma once more nodded.

"Yeah, no problem."

A quick glass of water and loss of manhood later and Ranma-chan stood before the doctor, ready to continue with the observation. Which, now that Ranma was a girl, Akane seemed to be able to once more observe, now lacking the blush the had adorned her face earlier.

Once more bringing his hand up to touch the now red-headed girl's chest, he absently noted the slight rise in attention he was receiving from the girl. Likely, it was due to a certain perverted midget. Tofu mentally made a note of Genma's change in posture, likely subconscious.

Circulating Ki again, Tofu became slightly more sure of the theory he had come up with. Now actively trying to keep his feelings off his face so as to not cause anymore fear to the people in the room, Tofu pulled back.

Repeating his lines from earlier, he donned a fresh set of gloves before reaching into the boxers the girl was wearing, being extra observant of Ranma's reactions. A flinch, barely noticeable, but still there, greeted him.

Disposing of his gloves, Tofu motioned for the girl to get dressed.

"Alright now, before I give my opinion, I have a favor to ask of Ranma." Stunned, Ranma quickly squared up her shoulders in an attempt to make her look more reliable(?) and asked,

"Sure Doc, whatcha want?"

Smiling, mostly to put the girl at ease, he answered.

"Nothing much, I was just wondering if you could run some test results to a patient to me real quick? I'll tell your parents the result of the test and they could tell you later. It's just that I was supposed to do it earlier but got sidetracked with your checkup." He smiled sheepishly, hand rubbing the back of his head in an embarrassed manner.

"No problem, Doc." She assured, she felt it was her fault for him not being able to deliver it personally anyway. That, and she was pretty certain he didn't want her hearing what he had to say, probably going to use her parents as a buffer.

It made her nervous and, she secretly admitted, scared.

"I trust you won't peak?"

A shake of the head.

Perfect.

"Alright, I'll be seeing you later then. Hopefully not too banged up." Tofu laughed, trying to ease the young woman's worries.

Once Ranma was safely out the door and bounding across rooftops, Tofu turned to the remaining occupants in the room, a deep frown on his face.

To the three, it was frightening. Judging by the Doctors reaction this was serious, and none had the faintest hint to what was wrong.

Well, one of them could guess, but they hoped for all their sakes that he was wrong.

"Now then," The Doctor began, focusing a fierce glare on the parents.

"I assume one of you must know why Ranma seems to think she's a boy?"

Genma nearly fainted.

* * *

**This chapter was a bit rushed, and the characters may have been a bit OOC, but I'm trying to fix that. This chapter basically lays the groundwork and I'll try to slow things down some. I'll try not to bash any characters.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer- I own nothing. Any mention of other works belongs to their respective owners.**

* * *

Akane stepped forward carefully, a bewildered expression, preceded by a frown, appearing on her face.

"What do you mean, Dr. Tofu? Ranma _is _a boy." Nodoka nodded along to the blue-haired girls' statement, sharing the same confusion as her.

"While I agree that my sons' other form is… unmanly, that doesn't change the fact that he is most definitely a male."

The frown on the doctor's face tightened, his eyebrows coming together as he scowled before turning his head to a pale-looking Genma.

"What I mean is," He began, now almost glaring at his squirming assistant.

"Ranma lacks any form of male Ki-in either of his forms." He elaborated. Nodoka sighed and shook her head, fearing that she had been correct.

"So, it is the curse's fault." It came in a whisper, yet it was still loud enough for the Doctor to hear.

"No." He stated.

"Magic can alter a person's appearance, yet it holds no control over the spiritual aspects of an individual."

"What do you mean? What does that have to do with Ranma's Ki?" questioned the youngest in the room.

"What I mean is Ki, which is unique to an individual, essentially links an individual's body and soul together, with it remaining mainly spiritual in nature. Genma," Said man flinched at the mention of his name, which brought a curious look from his wife and potential daughter in law.

"For example, retains the Ki and mind of a human even when transformed into a panda." As the doctor finished explaining, Nodoka was left more confused than before.

"Bu-but that can't be right!" She protested, her brain struggling to believe what the doctor was insisting.

"Ranma was born a boy, not a girl!" Genma released a sigh of relief at his wife's statement.

"Was he though?" Unbelievably, it was Akane who spoke up, her face turning to one of understanding and then anger as she turned to glare at Genma.

"W-what do you mean, girl?! Of course he was!" Genma insisted, frantically.

"Yes, Akane, what do you mean? Surely I would no what gender my child was born as." Asked Nodoka, lacking the nervousness of her husband but instead was much more confused.

Seeing Tofu's questioning glance, she elaborated.

"I mean, it would certainly explain why Ranma was listed as a female on his birth certificate."

Tofu nodded, this having confirmed his theory. That, and the squirming his assistant was doing under his and Akane's combined glare. Finally, Nodoka spoke up, her expression not having changed as she still looked on in confusion.

"That's not… it's-that can't be true! I gave birth to a… boy." She stammered, not looking entirely sure anymore, her memory's seeming to be fuzzy the further back she tried to remember.

Already Tofu was typing away at his desktop, searching for files related to Ranma before finally bringing up his birth certificate. Nodding to himself, he faced the two women as he confirmed it.

"It seems Akane was indeed telling the truth." Stepping to the side, he showed the occupants of the room a copy of Ranma's birth certificate, and right there in bold letters, the word female was displayed for the world to see.

Shock and denial flashed across Nodoka's face before she finally settled a glare on her husband. Lips pursed, she uttered one word.

"Explain."

* * *

**9(And a half) Years Ago…**

A large and filthy man in tattered clothing sat alone in an empty bar, the alcohol in his cup remaining untouched as he thought, bitterly, of how his life was falling apart.

Genma Saotome, currently the strongest (Unsealed) practitioner of Anything Goes Martial Arts, was having an off… few months. It was ironic how, just before this ordeal had begun, he was experiencing the happiest moments of his life.

His daughter, his sweet and lovable Daughter, Ranma, had just experienced her sixth birthday around half a year ago. She was dressed in a lovely green kimono with a floral pattern, an effort to mimic her mother, with her vibrant red hair done up in twin pigtails. She had been so adorable. Oh… he had so many video's and pictures from that day, safely stashed away so they were never found by his wife, afraid of the teasing he would inevitably receive at how he doted on her.

That had been the last day he had been truly happy.

The very next morning, Nodoka had been so exhausted as she had prepared breakfast, he was ashamed to admit that he had just thought that she was still tired from how much she had worked to prepare everything perfectly for their daughter the day before. The moment she collapsed, however, and remained unresponsive, he was terrified to find himself incorrect.

Now, many months later, Nodoka still lay in the hospital in a deep coma, the doctors unsure if she would ever awaken. Ranma had cried nonstop, pleading for her mother to get better, and he had to remain strong for her. If not for the news he had received, he would still be by her side, attempting to comfort her. Instead, he had shipped her off to stay with his old friend, Soun, a week ago when news that his wife wouldn't make it had reached his ears.

It… just wasn't fair.

First, Misaki, Soun's wife, had died two years ago and now here he was, watching as his wife was sharing the same fate.

Brought back from his grieving as he felt a chill, Genma was unaware that his entire life was about to change.

Hearing a strange man muttering something in a soft voice as he entered the empty bar while reading from an ancient-looking scroll, Genma felt a slight, painful tug at his Ki. It was, however, minuscule compared to the tug he felt at the old man's insufficient Ki, which was little more than that of an average person. Unsurprised at finding the old man now coughing up blood, he heard him mutter to himself. Curious, he moved closer.

"Damn it! Why didn't it work?! This is supposed to be able to do anything!" He said in a gruff voice that sounded beyond ancient.

Seeing his look, the old man glared at him before laughing, which was oddly enough followed by a fit of crying. The man seemed crazy, quickly going through multiple emotions since entering the bar.

"What's that your holding lad?" Genma had questioned, wondering briefly if what the man had said about its ability to do anything were true, or if it was something imagined up by the man in a fit of insanity. However, judging by the pull at his Ki, earlier, he was willing to believe it at least had _some _ability.

The man clutched his hands protectively around the now-closed scroll before quickly pulling it away from him and throwing it to the ground as if it had burned him. Glaring, now at the scroll, he muttered bitterly.

"This _trash_!" He yelled as he continued to glare at it.

"Is supposed to be a relic from the feudal era. It was supposed to be able to grant any wish. It was obviously a lie." He continued, his voice seeming less crazed than previous, as if now that away from the thing he could think straight.

Genma, however, was now focusing on the scroll, not paying much attention to the man's change in tone. It may be hard to believe, but if the pull on his Ki was anything to go by, then there could be some truth in the ability of the scroll. The man most likely lacked the amount of Ki that would be necessary to activate it. Deciding to take a chance, Genma did something that he would become very familiar with in years to come.

He stole the scroll and ran.

It was many hours later when, after a stop at the Tendo Dojo, Genma and Ranma arrived at his wife's room in the hospital. Placing a sleeping Ranma in a nearby chair, he thought of why he had brought her along in the first place.

He was scared.

If this didn't work, like he was suspecting it would, then he would need something to keep him from losing all hope and just giving in. He didn't think he could handle having that small amount of hope crushed.

Ranma was to be his lifeline. She was to remind him not to give in, to not end it all. She needed him.

Taking a breath as he uncoiled the scroll, Genma began to recite it word by foreign word. What he understood from his brief glimpse, his desire would drive the spell. He so desperately wanted Nodoka to get better, they would live a happier life and he would appreciate her more, they might even be able to have another child, a son...

He didn't remember much, most likely the magic of the scroll preventing its secrets from getting out, but he recalled a bright glow followed by a fierce drain on his mighty reserves. The glow enveloped all in the room, brightest on Nodoka as it healed her. He understood his own glow, as he was the one providing the energy for the spell. However, he was confused about Ranma.

It was then that a loud, hellish screeching brought him out of his musings.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" His daughter screamed as he frantically looked to her, watching in horror as she tossed about, her face contorted in agony. He watched in fascination as the vibrant red hair was replaced by inky blackness...

* * *

Ranma scowled as she hopped across the rooftops, the man she had delivered Tofu's package to had been a bit… sexist, and that bothered her more than she was willing to admit. She wasn't _really _a girl, but people still treated her like one and it always pissed her off. The man had stated that it wasn't safe for her to be walking alone and tried to offer to let her stay with him until someone came to pick her up, insinuating she was too weak to handle herself.

Jokes on him, when he tried to insist she stay, she showed him just how _weak _she was. Bastard probably wouldn't wake up for another couple hours.

"Saotome! Because of you, I've seen hell! Prepare to die!" Ranma was forced from her thoughts as she instinctively dodged to the side, avoiding a blow from a seemingly harmless looking umbrella. Inside, she smiled at the chance to relieve some of her frustrations from the day, looking forward to a good fight.

"Ahh! What'cha want P-chan? What'd I do now?" She asked with a fake whine in her voice, best to not let him know how much she was looking forward to pounding him into the dirt.

"Shut up and fight!" Ryoga shouted as they took their fight to the ground, not wanting to cause any damage to anyone's home.

"Come on, ain't ya at least gonna tell me why you're mad at me this time?" A distracted opponent was a dead opponent, so she egged him on, trying to get him to become lost in his emotions as he explained his latest vendetta.

"Because I've been fighting with you, I haven't been able to go to school!" He shouted as if that explained everything.

"Huh? So what? And how's that a bad thing? Or my fault?" She stopped and scratched her head in honest confusion. She had wondered, though, why he always seemed available even when it was supposed to be a school day. She supposed she just assumed he had gotten lost…

Jumping to the side, she evaded another strike from the umbrella that hit the concrete and destroyed it, sending it flying in her direction. Quickly making use of her 'Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken' speed training, she easily intercepted the projectile's and sent them flying speedily back at Ryoga.

"I finally made it to my house and found a letter from my parents saying they were angry at me for not trying to go to school! And if you hadn't ditched our fight I wouldn't be chasing you!" He snarled, content to place the blame on her as he always had. She huffed at that thought.

"I didn't ditch it! I waited for three days!"

"Excuses!" Shouted Ryoga as he got into an unfamiliar stance, Ranma could feel the Ki building up in his fists, reminding her slightly of the Yama-sen Ken. Before she could ponder the new development, Ryoga launched his fists forward in a blur, nowhere near as fast as her attacks but decent, creating a barrage of compressed air to hammer into her and throw her backward.

"Gah!" She spat out a mouthful of blood.

Easing her way up, Ranma glared at Ryoga, not mad at being injured itself, but at the fact that her rival had a new and powerful move, one that resembled the Ultimate attacks of one of her schools' techniques. Dashing forward with all her speed, Ranma dodged strikes of compressed air as she closed in.

Ryoga, seeing this, jumped backward so as to not let her get in too close. Suddenly having a brilliant idea, he once more used the breaking point on the concrete beneath him, this time gathering all his Ki and punching forward, using the slower but more widespread air to push the rubble forward and into the rushing girl.

Seeing the broken concrete rushing her way, Ranma leaped high into the air and over the ruble, gathering her own Ki in her hands, preparing an extra powerful Moko Takabisha. Ryoga, seeing the Ki-charged hands of his opponent, readied his own Shishi Hokodan.

Green consumed his vision as he launched the attack upwards towards the redhead, expecting it to soon meet his rivals' own attack and fight for dominance. Seconds passed and, to his confusion, his attack continued on without resistance. Too late, did he register the presence behind him, as he soon felt multiple strikes across his back hitting his pressure points and locking his movement.

"Phew!" Ranma exclaimed, a cocky smirk on her face as she watched Ryoga momentarily lock up before he went slack and fell forward. Knowing the pressure points wouldn't keep him down long, Ranma gathered him in her arms and bounded towards her home, much to his protests.

"Let go of me!" He cried out, angered and embarrassed at the same time.

"Nah! We gotta talk this out and you're gonna show me this new trick of yours." She shot his request down. That attack was way too cool to pass up, if she couldn't get him to teach it to her then she would just have to find a way to do something similar.

Arriving home shortly, Ranma dropped Ryoga onto the couch before heading into the kitchen to grab something to snack on to refuel, absently deciding to play nice and grab something for Ryoga so he might be more willing to show her his new technique.

Arriving back in the living room just as Ryoga regained mobility, Ranma tossed him a canned coffee and placed a tray of storebought cookies on the table for them both, surprising Ryoga and making him mumble a quiet thanks as his stomach rumbled.

Deciding to open on a more… pleasant? Less rude? Topic, Ranma opened her mouth.

"So?" She began as Ryoga stared blankly at her. She cursed him for not understanding, she just wanted to get to the new technique fastly! It was a shame she was trying to be nice. With a sigh, she continued.

"What are we gonna do about this whole school situation?" Ryoga stared at her blankly before his features morphed into surprise.

"Wha?" He just stared at her, confused at her implied offer of help. Her eyebrow twitched at his surprise, she could be helpful. It didn't matter if this was just to soften him up so he'd teach her the wind punch thing. Though, she supposed that if what he was saying were true, then he really should find a way to get to school.

"I mean, I don't want your parents angry at you or nothin'. But still, there's no way you're gonna be able to find your way to school every day, which they should know." It was true, both statements. She knew, if only a little, both of his parents. The two of them used to mail her some money so she could guide him to school in the first place. It seems they've come full circle. They really were nice people though, so it was strange why the two would be angry with Ryoga. They knew of their family's sense of direction better than anyone else. Maybe they just thought he wasn't trying hard enough to get to school?

Ryoga smashed his anger down at the insult before he ultimately sighed and went over suggestions with Ranma.

* * *

Genma's explanation ended as the room fell into silence, the occupants shocked at the sudden revelation. Seeing the looks of disbelief being directed at him by his wife and Akane, Genma sighed as he pulled out his wallet. Digging into the secret fold in it, he pulled out a picture and held it up for the room to see.

Gasps filled the room as the women were forced to believe that what he had told them was the truth. Sure, Akane had suspected it with what Tofu had told her, and Nodoka was starting to grow suspicious at her fuzzy memories, but to see proof was another matter. Tofu himself was slightly startled as his theories and beliefs were translated into reality.

Tears welled up in Nodoka's eyes at the image of the daughter she didn't know she had.

"This was the last photo I'd taken of you two, on Ranma's sixth birthday." Genma sadly explained, a bit of guilt in his voice.

Six-year-old Ranma, in her flowery green yukata, was held in Nodoka's arms with a bright smile on her face. Her hair was done up in twin pigtails that magnified the cuteness factor, as her outstretched hand waved at the camera, dirty with dried blue paint. Nodoka herself had hair almost as red at the time, the sickness having turned the hair darker over time. She wore a baby blue Yukata with her usual Katana absent from her side. The image was heartbreaking to those who knew the little girl more or less didn't exist anymore.

"She's adorable," Akane said softly as her eyes threatened to fill with tears. Nodoka couldn't help having the same thoughts. Where did this leave her, though? What… what was she supposed to do with this information? She definitely couldn't go on as before, couldn't hold Ranma to a contract that defied what he was born as in the first place. She could hardly accept this was real, that it wasn't a dream.

Tofu coughed to get their attention.

"That still, however, doesn't take care of the reason for your visit."

"You're right!" Akane exclaimed as she heard him, eyes once more taking a serious quality, which was shared by the others.

"Now, as I'm sure you're wondering why exactly Ranma doesn't have appear to have a sex drive?" A few nods.

"I had assumed it had to do with the fact that Ranma isn't really a boy," Nodoka stated before she got a nod from the doctor.

"But why?" She asked. Collecting himself to explain it properly, Tofu took a deep breath.

"You see, the main reason would be Ranma's Ki." Seeing their questioning eyes, he continued.

"Ranma's Ki, in either form, is incompatible with his male body. As Ki is what essentially links both the mind and body, it may leave certain emotions or even parts of his personality repressed." Nodoka was nodding at that, it would certainly explain why he lack much of an interest in almost anything other than Martial Arts.

"I assume Ranma generally spends most of his time as a man?" Genma gave his confirmation, he knew how the boy hated remaining in his girl-form for an extended period of time.

"From what I remember hearing from Akane, the most amount of time Ranma had spent as a girl was around two weeks, when he was locked." It had taken around that long for Ranma to find and beat Herb, spending the entirety of the time in his apparently not-cursed form.

"It's likely that the stress of the situation, or possibly the lack of time spent that way, prevented Ranma's mind and body from fully syncing. Though, I did notice a slight improvement in his relationship and attitude around then…" Tofu trailed off, finally having solved that puzzle.

"So then Ranma just needs to spend some more time as a girl?" Akane asked, sounding relieved at the seemingly simple solution.

"Pah! Good luck trying to get him to! He hates that form!" Genma shouted in a strange tone, proud of his son for his own pride in his masculinity, yet saddened at the loss of a daughter at the same time. Nodoka's face became tight, her lips pressed in a line.

"Yes, he does hate it, doesn't he…" It was a saddening thought, hating what you had been born as, even if Ranma didn't know of it. Genma, standing up suddenly with a determined expression on his face, loudly proclaimed,

"Well then, we'll just need ta make him! And once this is done you and him can marry, Akane!" A sour look appeared on said girls face.

"I'm not marrying a girl!" She shouted, as suddenly a thought struck her.

"The schools will never be joined!" He wept, seeming as if conditioned to react that way due to it being his long-time go-to reaction.

"Wait, why would you engage your daughter to another girl in the first place?!"

Nodoka, suddenly listening again, gained a curious expression at the question.

"Yes, _dear_. Why exactly did you do such a thing?"

Genma gulped.

"Youseethethingis(Cough) Uh, after you woke up and didn't remember Ranma being a girl, I uh, decided to take him to look for a cure and, when I was about to give up, he fell in that spring. When he didn't his real gender, Soun decided we should all just try and move on and we could honor the pact from way back when." He answered nervously.

"Dad KNEW!" Akane shouted. Nodoka put a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder, trying to ease her anger.

"Well, Akane, my husband _did _mention Ranma staying with you when I was in the hospital. I suppose it's natural he knew."

"Wait, it was _his _idea?" Anger once more surfaced within the young girls' mind, though this time it was focused on someone besides the male Saotome.

"What of Ukyo, dear?" Nodoka asked with a threatening smile on her face. Genma once more donned a nervous expression, this one line with a hint of embarrassment.

"Would you believe it if I told you Ranma wasn't the only one to think she was a boy?"

She frowned at the man.

"Oh, I suppose it was only your intention to marry her off to the first boy her age you met, then?"

Genma _really _hated that the truth was out in the open.

* * *

When Nodoka and Akane returned to the older woman's house, the two were surprised to find Ranma and Ryoga discussing something with shocking seriousness.

"What if I walk you back and forth every day and you stay put until I get there the next day?"

"No way! Then I'd have nothing to do!"

"Well, what do you suggest then?!"

"I don't know!"

Confused at the duo's conversation, Nodoka decided to ask what they were talking about.

"What exactly are you two talking about, dear?" Her apparent daughter turned to her in surprise, not having noticed as the two other women came in. With a sudden release of air, the redhead slumped and rubbed her forehead. Ideas were _not _very forthcoming, and this conversation was dragging along a lot longer than she first thought it would.

"Nothing much, just the pig-boys gonna get in trouble if he don't start going ta school. Problem is, unless someone leads him there he'd probably end up in Okinawa by lunchtime." The elder woman blinked at that, surely the boy couldn't get lost _that _easily.

"And why can't his parents take him?" She asked politely, not noticing the wince the other three occupants had.

"Auntie?" Akane started,

"Ryoga's parents get lost as easily as he does. I think he only gets to see them a few times a year." Oh, how horrible, Nodoka had thought. To not only have the world seem like a maze, but to not even be able to experience the warmth of family? She looked at the boy in pity. She could understand how that must feel. Every day, for ten long years, she could only hope that her child was safe and away from harm. To grow up with nobody for support? How lonely.

Suddenly, she had an idea.

Looking at the boy, she remembered Ranma's offer to take him to and from school and the boys' refusal. It wasn't hard to imagine that the real reason for rejecting the idea was his fear of being alone. To wait, alone in a home he couldn't navigate, until the next day, with likely no human interaction.

"Well, then, what would you say to staying with us? Ranma can walk you to and from school with Akane." To say the three were shocked would be an understatement.

"Hmm. Guess that makes sense." Ranma said with a shrug, quickly overcoming her shock. She, herself, had stayed as a guest at the Tendo's for half a year. She figured this would be like paying back karma.

"W-what?!" Stammered the lone boy in the room.

"But-?" He was quickly cut off.

"No buts!" Nodoka reprimanded.

"A young man such as yourself needs a proper education! What would people say if I turned down my sons' friend in a time of need?" Ryoga and Ranma both wanted to claim they weren't friends, but neither could since they really didn't have a term for what they were. Despite Ryoga's claims of hate, he could never fully commit himself to seriously injuring the person he called his rival.

They had gone through far too much together to claim to be enemies. Herb and Saffron had worked on tearing down the barriers between the term enemy and friend for the two.

Ryoga nodded dumbly even as Akane let out a squeal and embraced him.

"Oh, isn't this great Ryoga? Now you get to be around all the time!" She was positively beaming at having one of her best friends around for keeps. And maybe living together with Ranma would help the two get along a little more, the two were terrible friends, really.

"Y-yeah!" Ryoga once more stuttered, though this time for an entirely different reason. He may have moved on from Akane, but regardless, she was his first love. She would always have an effect on him, he thought.

"Yippe," Ranma said blandly before turning her attention to her mother.

"So, what'd the doc say?" Surprised at the sudden question, Ryoga became very interested in the discussion. Had the woman who just took him in just have an accident? Or worse, Akane? Not once did it cross his mind that the person with something wrong with them was Ranma. She was just too healthy.

"Ohh, nothing much. Just late puberty." She lied, not yet knowing how to break the news to the girl. If handled poorly, it could easily send the girl into either rage, denial, or even depression. It was better to take things slowly, maybe start with half-truths, getting Ranma more used to the idea of being a girl, if only for part-time. She was, while not admitting it, giddy at the prospect of having a daughter. The time she spent with 'Ranko' had been such a happy time for her, something she was surprised at since she hadn't been able to meet with her son as she had wanted.

Ryoga, surprised, decided to just drop it. Obviously, it wasn't the older woman or Akane, so it must be someone he didn't know, and trying to get involved with a strangers problems would be rude.

"Well, anyway Ryoga, you can sleep in my room with me. Be kinda like how Pops and I used to share a room." The redhead obviously didn't see a problem with it, and neither did the lost boy judging by the nod of his head. Nodoka and Akane, on the other hand, shared a nervous look before trying to convince them otherwise.

"No, we can just clear out the guest room. It shouldn't take long."

"Nah, you don't needa do that. Be a lot easier and convenient ta just share a room. Besides, not a lot of places ta put that stuff. Just pull a spare mattress and call it good. Harder for him ta get lost if we're right next to each other anyway." While Ryoga didn't exactly agree with the last part of that sentence, the rest of it sounded good to him. He didn't want to be a burden, after all.

Besides, if Akane ever came over while he was a pig, it'd be a lot easier if Ranma could claim to have found him and kept him in her room. If she came in on him in the guest room, however, with nobody there besides him, she might just put two and two together.

"Yeah, I'm fine with that Mrs. Saotome."

With a sigh and no easy reason to refuse, Nodoka had to relent and let them bunk together.

"Well alright, if you insist."

* * *

Ryoga was shocked awake by a bucket of hot water splashing over him. Bolting upright, he was surprised to find himself in an unfamiliar room before memories of the day prior surfaced in his mind. He, along with Akane, had stayed for dinner with the Saotome's, with Akane leaving shortly after to return home. That had left him pretty much alone in an awkward situation. Sure, he knew Ranma and as a result his parents, but he couldn't exactly claim to be friendly with them.

Thankfully, Nodoka had been kind enough to make small talk with him throughout the meal, making him feel more comfortable. Of course, after a while, he had become confident enough to talk to the rest of the Saotomes, engaging in a heated conversation about Martial Arts with the other two men, Ranma having changed back into one shortly after their conversation yesterday.

Having moved a mattress into Ranma's room, he comfortably fell asleep for the first time in ages, not having to sleep in a parking lot or woodlands.

Of course, all good things had to come to an end, as he was splashed awake by a grinning Ranma.

"What the hell?!" He yelled at the pigtailed Martial Artist.

"Time ta get up." Was the simple reply he got. Looking out the window of the room, he noticed the sun hadn't even had time to rise.

"It's too damn early!" He complained, angry at the boy for waking him at such an ungodly hour of the day. Who the hell woke up this early anyway?

"Gotta train." Judging by the short replies he was getting, not even Ranma wanted to be up right now, so then why was he? And he could train by his goddamn self, he was far too tired to do much of anything right now, least of all Martial Arts.

"Right now? What time is it anyway?" Not able to get back to sleep even if he tried, already knowing that to be the case from past experiences, Ryoga pulled up from his mattress and started the dreaded stretches that would lead to eventual practice. He glared at the other boy for making him do this. Ranma was too annoying to leave him alone, and he couldn't put up much of a protest with how sleep-deprived he was at the moment.

"About five, give or take." Satisfied with Ryoga's compliance in getting up, Ranma began to lead the lost boy down the stairs and out the back door, doing so excellently even in the dark.

Cracking his neck, Ryoga sent a questioning glance at the aquatransexual.

"Don't you usually do this with your dad?" Ranma just stared at him a bit before launching at him, answering just as he did so.

"Used to. Had ta stop after he started working for Tofu, couldn't be going to work all beat up and tired, after all."

Blocking the punch Ranma had sent his way, Ryoga dropped low and sent his feet in a swiping motion, attempting to know the other boy off his feet. Unsurprisingly, Ranma performed a flawless backflip as he put distance between them. Ryoga, now taking the initiative, launched himself forward with great strength and sent an uppercut that caught Ranma on his chin as he landed from his previous backflip.

For around an hour, the spar continued in this boy, with one boy attempting to find and exploit the others weak point, the two being near evenly matched. Of course, if it were a real fight, they both knew things would likely be different, despite how much Ryoga hated it. But even then, it would be close, with both of them having an immense learning curve, they had progressed rapidly. Already, Ranma's technique was far beyond his fathers that he failed to be good for sparring.

Though that didn't necessarily mean much, as Genma seemingly held many secret techniques and more experience to make up for the lack of skill, but those were incapable of being used properly in a mere sparring match.

The two boys, despite the early hour in the morning and their rivalry, found themselves having fun.

Seeing the light in the kitchen turn on, Ranma signaled for them to stop as he caught sight of his mother.

Leading Ryoga back inside like a seeing-eye dog, Ranma brought him to the bath and signaled for him to go first. With a shrug, Ryoga went in and enjoyed a very, very hot bath, just to be safe. Plus, he enjoyed it that way, so it was a bonus.

After a few minutes stumbling around in the hallway and walking into various closets, a clean and clothed Ryoga finally managed to find his way into the Kitchen. Luckily, it was easier to find than it usually would be due to Ryoga being able to follow the smell of the delicious food.

Stepping into it, he was surprised to find a slightly wet Ranma helping her mother cook the food. Judging by the look on her face, she seemed to be fairly relaxed too. Watching as her hands cut through vegetables in a blur, having them land neatly on a nearby tray, Ryoga felt himself become confused. Since when did Ranma know how to cook? If s/he were so concerned with Akane's cooking, wouldn't it be easy to just insist on preparing her own food? With a shrug, he went to Ranma and signaled it was her turn to bathe.

With a smile and quick nod of thanks, Ranma hurriedly headed for the furo after asking her mom if she had everything covered, leaving Ryoga all the more confused. He had never seen Ranma look so relaxed, usually, she was always on guard for something, even at the Tendo's. He sighed, oh well, at least they were less likely to start an argument if the two of them were both content, which he surprisingly was.

Regardless of the situation, this was the most normal things had been for him in a while. Even though it was only a day, it was a day spent fed and he had slept in a bed. Despite the early start this morning, he had had a nice exercise and was able to bathe in an actual bath. Now, here he was, a plate of delicious-looking breakfast being placed in front of him by a smiling woman.

A noise to the side signaled Genma and male-Ranma's arrival into the kitchen, the latter having just gotten out of the bath himself. All together now, with a quick 'Thank you for the food!' they all dug in, Ryoga savoring in the taste of the food. While not as good as Kasumi's(And really, who's would be?) it was an amazing delicious dish.

"This is incredible!" Letting his pleasure be known, Ryoga gave a quick complement to Nodoka, who merely smiled and waved it off.

"Oh, I can't take the credit for this! Ranma showed me a while ago and it's been a favorite ever since! He made most of this himself earlier."

Ryoga made sure to keep the surprise off his face, not wanting to seem rude, even if it was Ranma. Still, he would've never thought his rival was capable of cooking so well. People were bound to be full of surprises, he would just need to ask about it later.

After clearing his plate and offering to do the dishes, which he did _very _carefully, Ryoga set off with Ranma in the direction of the school.

"So… You can cook?" He asked as he tried to make small talk. Ranma just shrugged his shoulders as he continued along the fence, something Ryoga was tempted to do out of sheer boredom.

"Eh, a bit." After seeing Ryoga's look, Ranma decided to elaborate, if only to kill time until they met up with Akane. Placing his hands on his head and looking upwards, he continued.

"When I was little, it was either learn or go hungry, ya know? Pops wasn't much of a cook and half the stuff he tried makin' would turn out inedible. So, when training in a temple one time, when an old woman offered ta teach me, I took her up on the offer. It just kinda stuck. It's relaxing, like katas."

"Then why didn't you just make your own food instead of risking Akane's?" Ryoga cared deeply for the girl, he did, but even he knew how she was in the kitchen. Though, just because you couldn't cook didn't mean you had to be a jerk about it.

Ranma snorted.

"Kasumi'd never let me touch anything in there. Said a guest shouldn't have ta. Personally, I think she was just being polite and thought I'd either break something or it'd turn out like something Akane had made. Or both." He laughed, a fond smile on his face at the thought about how far the girl had gone to spare his feelings.

"Really? Sounds like something she'd do." Ryoga nodded at the guess. The two shared the same opinion of the nice girl, she was very kind, but they knew not to mess with her kitchen.

"Ranma! Ryoga! Wait up!" A feminine voice sounded through the air, causing the two to stop short and allow the girl to catch up. Ranma was a bit surprised at noticing he had accidentally passed by their usual meeting spot as he was talking with Ryoga.

"Sorry, 'Kane." He mumbled a short apology.

"No big deal. Busy talking with Ryoga I'd bet." She waved off the apology, a curious look in her eye as she stared between them with a smile.

"It seems like you two are getting along." She commented, glad that her two friends weren't fighting as usual.

"With this honorless bastard? As if!" Ryoga denied, earning a glare from the pigtailed Martial Artist.

"Be nice!" Akane scolded the lost boy, a pout of her lips showing her displeasure

The rest of the walk to the school was done mostly in silence, with Akane breaking it by asking a few questions here and there. Arriving at their destination with more than enough time, the trio was greeted with an unpleasant sight.

"Ah, my fierce tigress!" 'Furiken's Blue Blunder' shouted as he bounded toward them with arms wide open, intent on embracing the one he proclaimed his true love, while perhaps groping a feel by mistake. His reunion was, however, put a stop to by a fierce strike to the head, courtesy of an overweight umbrella.

"Hands off!" Ryoga shouted, defending his former love. He had heard of this Kuno before, as P-chan. Then, he hadn't been able to do anything, being both a pig and incapable of finding the man. Now, he would correct the man, something Ranma had obviously failed at.

The blue-robed kendoist, recovering shortly, turned to glare at the man who had denied him and his lovers embrace.

"What foul cretin has Saotome enlisted to thwart true love now?" He asked aloud, staring in anger at the two men that stood on either side of Akane. Ryoga's eye twitched at the remark, not liking that he was accused of working with his rival. Standing defensively in front of Akane, he blocked the man's sight of her.

"Just give it up, Kuno. We gotta get ta class." While normally Ranma would gladly take a fight over listening to someone drone on about math or something, he figured he wouldn't have to do that much for a bit. He'd have to walk Ryoga to the principal and get him enrolled before guiding him to class, so he would likely miss a bit anyway. No need to fight with an idiot when it got him nothing.

"Silence, I strike!" Sighing, Ranma got ready to beat him down when Ryoga's fist impacted with the bumbling man's face, knocking him out. Shrugging it off, he and the others made their way towards the school building. It didn't really matter who beat the idiot up, it helped that Ryoga didn't waste time toying with him as he did.

Half an hour later, Ranma and Ryoga waltzed out of the Principal's office and made their way to class.

* * *

A knock on the door distracted Nodoka from her work making herself some lunch. Heading toward the door to answer it, she was surprised to find two very formally dressed men. Behind the two, there was a big, wooden crate.

"Is this the residence of Ranma Saotome?" Curious at the question one of the men asked, Nodoka answered truthfully, wondering what the men wanted with her son/daughter.

"Please sign here." The other man said, handing her a paper attached to a clipboard that she signed quickly enough. Taking a glance at the signature before nodding in satisfaction, both men wheeled the crate into the house with her permission.

"What exactly is this?" She questioned. Looking at each other before shrugging simultaneously, the man on the right answered,

"Package from somewhere near the Bayankala Mountains in China. Turns out your child has some friends in high places, ma'me."

* * *

**Couldn't really think of a good way to end this chapter. It was pointed out to me that it'd be interesting if Nodoka were the one to cause the Gender Swap, and I had thought of going with that, but I wasn't too sure how to work that into what I already had planned so I had to discard that idea. Hopefully, this chapter is a bit better than the previous one.**


End file.
